I cannot imagine any other country in the world where the opposition would seek, and the chief executive would allow, the dissemination of his most private and personal conversations with his staff, which, to be honest, do not exactly confer sainthood on anyone concerned.

I do believe that the buck stops here, that I cannot rely upon public opinion polls to tell me what is right. I do believe that right makes might and that if I am wrong, 10 angels swearing I was right would make no difference. I do believe, with all my heart and mind and spirit, that I, not as President but as a humble servant of God, will receive justice without mercy if I fail to show mercy.

The length of one's days matters less than the love of one's family and friends.

In a democracy, the public has a right to know not only what the government decides, but why and by what process.

Government exists to create and preserve conditions in which people can translate their ideas into practical reality. In the best of times, much is lost in translation. But we try.

The old question still remains: Can a free people restrain crime without sacrificing fundamental liberties and a heritage of compassion?

Our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here, the people rule.